Whether Pride Is the First Sin of All?
Objection 1: It would seem that pride is not the first sin of all.
For the first is maintained in all that follows. Now pride does not
accompany all sins, nor is it the origin of all: for Augustine says
(De Nat. et Grat. xx) that many things are done "amiss which are not
done with pride." Therefore pride is not the first sin of all.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Ecclus. 10:14) that the "beginning of
. . . pride is to fall off from God." Therefore falling away from God
precedes pride.
Obj. 3: Further, the order of sins would seem to be according to the
order of virtues. Now, not humility but faith is the first of all
virtues. Therefore pride is not the first sin of all.
Obj. 4: Further, it is written (2 Tim. 3:13): "Evil men and seducers
shall grow worse and worse"; so that apparently man's beginning of
wickedness is not the greatest of sins. But pride is the greatest of
sins as stated in the foregoing Article. Therefore pride is not the
first sin.
Obj. 5: Further, resemblance and pretense come after the reality. Now
the Philosopher says (Ethic. iii, 7) that "pride apes fortitude and
daring." Therefore the vice of daring precedes the vice of pride.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ecclus. 10:15): "Pride is the
beginning of all sin."
_I answer that,_ The first thing in every genus is that which is
essential. Now it has been stated above (A. 6) that aversion from
God, which is the formal complement of sin, belongs to pride
essentially, and to other sins, consequently. Hence it is that pride
fulfils the conditions of a first thing, and is "the beginning of all
sins," as stated above (I-II, Q. 84, A. 2), when we were treating of
the causes of sin on the part of the aversion which is the chief part
of sin.
Reply Obj. 1: Pride is said to be "the beginning of all sin," not as
though every sin originated from pride, but because any kind of sin
is naturally liable to arise from pride.
Reply Obj. 2: To fall off from God is said to be the beginning of
pride, not as though it were a distinct sin from pride, but as being
the first part of pride. For it has been said above (A. 5) that pride
regards chiefly subjection to God which it scorns, and in consequence
it scorns to be subject to a creature for God's sake.
Reply Obj. 3: There is no need for the order of virtues to be the
same as that of vices. For vice is corruptive of virtue. Now that
which is first to be generated is the last to be corrupted. Wherefore
as faith is the first of virtues, so unbelief is the last of sins, to
which sometimes man is led by other sins. Hence a gloss on Ps. 136:7,
"Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof," says that "by
heaping vice upon vice a man will lapse into unbelief," and the
Apostle says (1 Tim. 1:19) that "some rejecting a good conscience
have made shipwreck concerning the faith."
Reply Obj. 4: Pride is said to be the most grievous of sins because
that which gives sin its gravity is essential to pride. Hence pride
is the cause of gravity in other sins. Accordingly previous to pride
there may be certain less grievous sins that are committed through
ignorance or weakness. But among the grievous sins the first is
pride, as the cause whereby other sins are rendered more grievous.
And as that which is the first in causing sins is the last in the
withdrawal from sin, a gloss on Ps. 18:13, "I shall be cleansed from
the greatest sin," says: "Namely from the sin of pride, which is the
last in those who return to God, and the first in those who withdraw
from God."
Reply Obj. 5: The Philosopher associates pride with feigned
fortitude, not that it consists precisely in this, but because man
thinks he is more likely to be uplifted before men, if he seem to be
daring or brave.
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